About 22,000 thoroughbred foals are expected to be born in North America in 2015, according to projections by the Jockey Club.

The number is on a par with projections for 2014, and slightly ahead of the 23,000 estimated for 2013, said Jockey Club executive vice president and executive director Matt Iuliano.

“The projection for the 2015 foal crop is based on reports of mares bred received to date, and we estimate that approximately 80% of those reports have been received,” Iuliano said.

The foal crop projection, traditionally announced in mid-August, is computed by using Reports of Mares Bred (RMBs) received to date for the 2014 breeding season. RMBs are to be filed by August 1 of each breeding season.

Foal registration is to be completed within 12 months of the birth of the foal. However, late registration is available for additional fees, making actual foal crop counts impractical before December 31 of the crop’s two-year-old year, the time by which the vast majority of the foal crop has been registered.